Cottage Time

We had debated on going back to Wisconsin again after being there a few days prior, but who can pass up a trip to the cottage. After I was done with work on Saturday we loaded up the car and headed out, stopping for dinner in Taylors Falls.

We'd been to the Drive-In once before years back. It's fun to go back just about anyplace with Meadow. The three of use shared a raspberry malt. Meadow loved it.

We ordered a kids meal for Meadow. They accidently gave us chicken strips and then brought out a hamburger for us. She ate the whole thing. We also opted for carrots instead of fries and she ate one carrot.

We arrived late the night before and went to bed almost immediately after we got there. The next morning we got up early to head to our favorite restaurant.

I don't know if it's our favorite, but it's definitely a classic.

We all got up before eight for the 40 minute drive to Paul Bunyan's in Minocqua.

I had always thought this was some kind of weed, but I got a nice lesson on how to harvest and prepare wild rice.

I knew it wasn't a "weed," but it was cool to learn that we are surrounded by all of this wild rice. A few minutes later we saw two men harvesting rice in their canoe.

We eventually made it to the river and as much as I wanted to keep going I knew getting back was going to be hard. We let the current push us back for awhile.

Blake and Justin took their time on the way back.

This is where our small boats kicked butt. The lightness of them allowed us to float faster.

Blake found a few giant egg sacks while coming back. He thought that they were possibly mayfly eggs. Anybody have a better guess?

Scott and I got a head start and the guys still caught up to us.

I saw a small boat coming our way and I thought it might be Mr. Mike. It turned out he came to meet us after getting Meadow to bed.

Blake and I leeched on for a ride. My hands were getting blisters and my wrists were hurting so I got a ride back.

I pushed through. By the time I was back my upper arms were on fire.

Meadow wished she had come.

No one knew what to make for dinner after all this. I threw together some garlic, broccoli and green beans with pasta and called it a meal. Momma Gail made a salad and everyone seemed happy enough.

I also made tomatillo salsa.

After Meadow went to bed Blake and Justin played some campfire songs for us.

Our upper bodies were killing us. I did some stretches which seemed to help a lot.

Everyone had their omelettes except Justin and I. I made mine by adding the filling after the outside had set and then folded. The Romeneskos all thought I was weird. Isn't that how you make an omelette?

Last night when we were sitting out by the fire a truck stopped in front of our driveway and then sped off. I spotted cigarette butts on the road.

While Scott made ice cream, Meadow and I went for a walk in the woods with the guys. Blake showed Justin all the cool spots. Like this old pile of logs left behind during the logging days.

And this random old car. We took my Grandpa back her a few years ago and he said it was a Model A Ford.

There were so many mushrooms around. Blake said there are 1,000 different kinds and only 200 are known to be edible.

I got quite the nature lesson on our walk.

This is Meadow's new smile.

I wonder if she learned this from my sunny day grimace?

I convinced my dad to take us for a boat ride, but first I had pizza dough to make.

A few of us took beers along for the ride. I've never had Capital's Dark, but this a great lager. It's the kind of beer that's perfect at a beer garden or a boat ride.

My dad let Meadow drive and she thought it was the best thing in the world.

We stopped at the island too of course.

We told Blake to walk across the sand bar.

The cool grandpa walked on a downed tree.

Am I the only person who hates when podunks scribble their name on trees or sandstone cliffs?

Meadow didn't want to leave.

There is no better waste of gasoline than a good boat ride.

Back at home we decided to let everyone make their own pizza.

I need to convince my dad to build a pizza oven outside.

He could build it into the back of the fire place that's been promised all these years.

The strawberry ice cream I made was a big hit. Everyone left the cottage except Meadow, Brooke and I. It's not quite as fun without a crowd.

Meadow wouldn't let me do dishes.

Now that everyone had gone we watched some Mad Men after Meadow went to sleep.

The next morning we tried out the waffle pan I got my dad for Father's Day.

Without the family to entertain us we just played down by the lake.

She kept wanting to play in the water.

I think I need a bigger kayak. The back end is dipping pretty far into the water.

There's a new natural foods store, TreeHuggers Organics, in Three Lakes that we thought we would check out.

Some of their produce was grown in the Three Lakes Winery's garden. I hope this place gets enough business and stays open.

Back at home I put Meadow's swimsuit on, but then she didn't want to go in the water.

She's always on her own mission.

She just wanted to crawl really close to the edge of the dock.

I always have to wash our car when we are up here.

My favorite summer at the cottage meal. Fish tacos and corn on the cob.

The only problem is that you have to watch for the tiny fish bones.

Meadow has been walking a little more each day. She does really well when she's distracted or holding a toy.

The next morning the weather looked promising. I let Meadow play down by the lake again before we headed out.

The wind started to blow in from the lake. So much for shorts.

Meadow didn't seem to mind a breeze.

We were going to leave before she napped, but she was getting cranky. I worked on my painting in the meantime.

We decided to take Military Road to Wisconsin 70 as a change of pace. Later I would regret taking the scenic route.

As kids we used to bike down Military Road because my mom said it went to Green Bay. As I got older I realized that couldn't be right as the road went north. Apparently she was right.

You guys were just heading the wrong direction on the road.

A little after Hayward we got caught in the first major storm that we passed. I had to pull over because I couldn't see and then it started hailing golf ball size hail. I'm surprised our windsheild didn't crack.

At this point I wish he had taken US 8 instead. Now we have a dozen or so dents from the hail.

As we got to Taylors Falls another storm hit us. It was so dark we could only see when lightening would strike. I had never been in a storm where the radar was purple.